The arena's excitement kept building.
As thunderous cheers rang out from the packed stands, a majestic voice suddenly boomed from high above:
"Silence!"
The voice was not loud, yet it carried with uncanny clarity into everyone's mind.
The entire crowd fell silent.
In the waiting area, Lin Chuan opened his eyes. His cold gaze fixed sternly on the source of the voice.
The vaulted ceiling above the Slaughter Arena.
The red mist gathered there slowly dissipated, revealing a formidable figure clad in armor.
Long crimson hair fluttered in the air. Strange markings covered his handsome, middle-aged face, a pair of scarlet horns sprouted from his forehead, and broad bat wings stretched from his back.
"King of Slaughter."
The name surfaced in Lin Chuan's mind.
His expression grew even more serious.
It was rare for the King of Slaughter to appear in person.
And before Lin Chuan had even completed his hundred victories? How strange.
Giratina gave a disdainful snort.
"I thought it'd be some powerful being. Turns out he's just a paper tiger, bluffing with borrowed authority."
A Limit Douluo tainted by a God King's aura.
Lin Chuan said nothing, remaining where he was.
The King of Slaughter's words still echoed in his ears.
"Across a thousand years, only a handful have completed the battles in the Hell Slaughter Arena. Once again, I see a brilliant lone star."
"Jade-Faced Yama, perform your final dance."
The King of Slaughter's hoarse voice rang in their ears, sending a chill down their spines.
His gaze drifted toward a corner of the stands.
But no one noticed.
As soon as he finished speaking, a fresh wave of deafening cheers erupted from the arena.
The token in Lin Chuan's arms had also drawn the King of Slaughter's attention to him.
Their eyes met. The other man showed no apparent dislike for Lin Chuan. Instead, there was a trace of curiosity and admiration.
Lin Chuan found it strange. What was the other man thinking?
Then, with a simple wave of his hand, Lin Chuan was teleported into the arena. Nine more people appeared there one after another.
There were men and women among them. Their violent auras were on full display, and every one of them was at least a Spirit Emperor.
This was a slaughter match, with no rules.
The fight would continue until only one person remained alive.
Ten entered; one survived. Nine out of ten would die.
Setting aside his earlier unease, Lin Chuan wasted no time. He stamped his right foot against the ground.
A dark aura surged from within him, spreading in every direction as he activated his domain first.
This was his final battle. There was no need to keep hiding anything. Underestimating his opponents would be irresponsible.
Besides, five of the people here were Spirit Saints or stronger. If they joined forces against him, waiting until then to activate his domain would cost him the chance to strike first.
He sensed that the charming woman on his right had a faint, quivering soul, and that her resistance was the weakest.
Lin Chuan bent his knees slightly, then shot forward.
He appeared before the woman and, using his momentum, kicked hard into her knee.
"Crack!"
Pain surged through her body. Her face twisted, her eyes burned with hatred, and her soul struggled violently.
But it was no use, no matter how hard she fought.
She had lost control of her body and couldn't even scream.
Lin Chuan's combat experience was already well honed. A fine-steel dagger slid from his sleeve, and he slashed her throat!
With the help of the Inversion Domain, he killed a Spirit Emperor first. The entire arena fell silent.
"Damn it, that kid's cunning! Let's team up and kill him first!"
One of the burly men was the first to adjust to the strangeness of the domain. Once he shook off the sensation, he shouted to those around him.
He was also the strongest in the arena: a Soul Douluo.
With an angry roar, the phantom of a massive bear appeared behind him.
He completed Martial Soul Possession, strengthening his body.
With someone taking the lead, the others who had shaken off their discomfort also summoned their Martial Souls.
They surrounded Lin Chuan from all sides and attacked.
Their figures reflected in the eyes of the surrounded Lin Chuan, yet it was as if the situation were not what they thought they saw. Instead, the eight of them were trapped in Lin Chuan's gaze, waiting to be slaughtered.
Under the crowd's curious, anxious stares, the eight powerful fighters attacked from every direction.
They were sure there was no way he could escape; he would die under their assault.
Yet Lin Chuan stood firm.
He swung his right hand. A figure, growing larger by the moment, slammed into one of the attackers.
Giratina appeared in the arena.
Its towering body radiated an overwhelming Pressure, and purple-black energy curled around its striking form.
Under the King of Slaughter's fascinated gaze, a terrifying gale suddenly swept around Giratina. As if edged with blades, it repeatedly sliced at the souls of those nearby.
Thanks to Giratina's presence, Lin Chuan shared its Ability:
Telepathy.
Using this Ability, he successfully evaded the burly man's attack and that of another, sinister-looking man.
"Oh?"
The King of Slaughter grew even more curious.
In the Capital of Slaughter, no one except the envoys and the King of Slaughter himself could use Soul Skills.
Yet Giratina had just used a skill.
It wasn't a Soul Skill. Could it be a Self-Created Soul Skill?
But how could this Martial Soul itself use skills?
The King of Slaughter and the spectators weren't the only ones curious about this.
Even the beautiful, graceful, dignified woman in the shadowy corner was just as intrigued.
Seeing Lin Chuan unleash that strange attack, she thought it resembled someone's farting skill.
Her right hand tightened around her scepter. Her red lips pressed into a thin line as she watched Lin Chuan, unreadable emotions hidden in her eyes.
The battle continued. With Giratina's help, the eight struggled to hold their ground.
Someone was injured in every exchange.
Watching their morale crumble, Lin Chuan sighed softly.
These people weren't capable of forcing him to fight desperately. He didn't even need to reveal his most important trump cards.
That also ruined his hopes of one last challenging trial. He might as well have come here just to rack up some data.
In a flash, Lin Chuan charged forward again.
Purely in terms of physical strength, he traded two punches with a Spirit Emperor, and the other man was sent flying.
At the same time, Giratina received the thought Lin Chuan sent it.
It soared into the air, wrapped its huge wings around itself like a cocoon, and released a blinding burst of energy.
The burly man's face darkened. He roared, directing the others to keep attacking together.
They planned to wear their opponent down by trading injuries for injuries.
But just as they were about to badly wound Lin Chuan, a Barrier blocked their attacks. The attackers, instead, felt their arms go numb from the impact.
After several more exchanges, they finally realized how unfairly protected the other man was by that Barrier.
Of the eight who had started out, only five injured fighters remained.
The burly man panted heavily, realizing something was wrong.
He looked up at Giratina, curled into a cocoon in the air, and shouted:
"That centipede! It's the centipede causing this! Attack it!"
"Take it out first! As long as that Barrier stays around the kid, we'll always be at a disadvantage!"
The sinister man's snake-like eyes fixed on Giratina, which had wrapped itself in its wings above them. He gripped the greatsword that was his Martial Soul once more.
The burly man and the other three worked together to keep Lin Chuan tied up.
Seizing his chance, the sinister man gritted his teeth and swung his greatsword at Giratina.
"Clang...!"
A crisp ringing sounded as the blade struck the Barrier, just as it had around Lin Chuan.
Only a faint ripple crossed its surface.
Not a single crack appeared, and the Barrier soon returned to normal.
At the sight, an inexplicable panic gripped the others.
Fear took root in their hearts. They seemed to see how it would all end.
The boy standing before them was no ordinary, talented youth.
He was the Slaughter God with ninety-nine consecutive victories!
"Y-You... damn it..."
The moment the burly man realized his mistake, the scene before him had already gone pitch-black.
He was no longer watching himself and the others continue to surround Lin Chuan.
One by one, the people beside him had been slaughtered.
He was on his knees, battered and wailing in agony, his body covered in wounds.
"..."
He wanted to say something. His mouth opened, but he couldn't make a sound.
Lin Chuan's slender right hand had already plunged into the burly man's eyes.
Gripping his nasal bone, he used it to hold the man's head in place.
Dark purple energy surged over the man's body, devouring his soul and turning it into wisps of pure energy that flowed back into Lin Chuan.